Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, alongside personnel of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force (MOPOL), have thwarted an attempted abduction by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) in Monguno, Borno State.
Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that 46 students were successfully rescued during the operation.
According to the statement, the terrorists launched the attack at about 1:30 a.m. on Saturday after allegedly gaining access to the school with the assistance of suspected collaborators.
Goni explained that the FGGC premises are currently being used as temporary hostel accommodation for students of the Federal Polytechnic, Monguno.
He added that several students lost their lives after being hit by stray bullets allegedly fired by the fleeing terrorists during the exchange of gunfire.
The identities of the deceased have yet to be confirmed, and it remains unclear whether they were students of FGGC Monguno or the Federal Polytechnic.
“Alert security personnel immediately engaged the terrorists with coordinated and overwhelming firepower, effectively stalling their advance with Sector 3 Quick Reaction Force (QRF) immediately reinforcing the school,” the statement said.
“Confronted by the superior combat capability and determined resistance of the security forces, the terrorists were forced to abandon their criminal mission and flee in confusion without achieving their objective. During the encounter, parts of the school infrastructure sustained damage, but the attempt was well contained by troops in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force personnel.
“Following the operation, troops successfully rescued and evacuated all 46 students to Kinnasara Barracks, Monguno, where they received immediate medical assessment and appropriate care. All rescued students have been confirmed medically stable and no student was abducted. Regrettably, some students were fatally struck by the sporadic gunfire from the terrorists during the firefight.
“Operation HADIN KAI extends its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and reassures the public that all necessary measures are being taken to safeguard the lives of residents and protect critical public institutions across the North East in liaison with the Borno State Government.”
The military added that efforts are underway to identify and arrest the suspected collaborators, while security operatives have intensified the pursuit of the fleeing terrorists.